Another child in California may be infected with the bird flu.
Health Officials in Marin County, which is in the Bay Area, said they are working with the California Department of Health to determine how the child may have been exposed to the virus.
No other information about the child or their prognosis was made available.
If the case is confirmed, this would be the second time a child has been diagnosed with bird flu in California.
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In November, a child in Alameda County, which is also in the Bay Area, tested positive for bird flu. It was the first time a child was confirmed to be infected by the virus in the U.S.
“Consistent with previously identified human cases in the United States, the child reportedly experienced mild symptoms and received flu antivirals,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “There were low levels of viral material detected in the initial specimen collected, and follow-up testing of the child several days later was negative for H5 bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses.”
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The CDC added that the child was recovering from the illness.
Despite the two cases, health officials say the risk of contracting bird flu is low. However, the CDC notes that the risk is greater when exposed to animals infected by the virus.
